Many transport vehicles are designed to transport freight, goods, merchandise, personal property, and other such cargo. Often, such transport vehicles utilize a load bed to haul such cargo, for example the load bed of a pick-up truck is often utilized to haul cargo. The load bed, however, is often elevated from the ground making it difficult to load and unload heavy objects from such load beds. Accordingly, operators will often utilize a ramp that may extend from the ground upwards to the load bed of the transporting vehicle to load heavy objects thereon.
Numerous types of ramps are used to assist in the loading and unloading of objects to and from transport vehicles. Particularly, trucks, vans, trailers and the like may utilize ramps to assist in the loading of rolling objects such as ATVs, motorcycles, lawnmowers, etc. One common type of ramp may consist of a plurality of rungs whereby each rung is separated from a successive rung by an open space. The rungs may be connected at or near the ends by rails. The successive rungs and the rails form a series of frame-like structures surrounding the central openings, similar to a ladder. Such a structure allows for loading and unloading of objects, such as ATVs, motorcycles, lawnmowers and etc. to and from the transport vehicle.
Ramps are designed to work up a specified maximum height to avoid the angle of the ramp from being overly steep. At the appropriate height, the ramp will be angled up from the ground level to the loading surface, such as the load bed of the transporting vehicle. This angle will change as the loading height of the transporting vehicle changes, or will change as the length of the ramp changes.
The surface of the ramp will often be at a different angle than the top loading surface of the transporting vehicle. Further, the ramp may utilize hooks on the side rails or a top plate that attaches the top of the ramp to the loading surface. This, however, results in the rolling load or object transitioning from the loading surface to the angled ramp or from the angled ramp to the loading surface. The fixed top plate or hooks on the ramp will not provide a smooth rolling surface onto the ramp that may sit at various angles. The load, therefore, must be pushed or pulled over this transitioned surface requiring extra force and instability when loading.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved ramp that reduces the transitioned surface that requires the rolling load or other object to be pulled or pushed when transitioning to and from the ramp.